Talks between the Rockies and Cardinals revolving around Nolan Arenado have "advanced beyond a preliminary stage," reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com.

According to Morosi, the Rockies are "insisting" on a package that includes both big league and minor league talent.

Specifically, Morosi says Colorado has interest in Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson and are expected to ask for at least one of the Cardinals' top four prospects.

Morosi reported last week that the Rockies and Cardinals were engaged in preliminary discussions about Arenado.

We wrote on Dec. 20 why Arenado is a near-perfect fit for the Mets while also touching on why an Arenado trade to the Mets (or elsewhere) could be very complicated.

Arenado is signed to a megadeal through the 2026 season, but has an opt-out after the 2021 season. It's fair to believe that any acquiring team would want that opt-out waived before sending key pieces to Colorado in exchange.

When it comes to the Mets specifically, what Arenado will earn in 2020 could be an issue since they're already bumping up close to the $208 million luxury tax threshold. That should change after the 2020 season, when a bunch of high-priced players come off the books.

As of now, though, it seems the Mets might have to sit by and potentially watch Arenado get traded elsewhere.

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